Trans Kii Peninsula （from Ise to Yoshino）

Nov 30, 2010

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Because I was going to cross over the mountains today, I wanted to depart early, but decided to participate in a guided early morning worship in the Naiku-Shrine.

Shinto is difficult to understand, like other religions. I thought maybe I could get some idea of what it was about.

God is in the place of nothingness, is not a shrine building

Because I avoided the city and cycled on the old road, neither convenience stores nor the fast food shops were around. I finally found the quiet Ise-noodle dining room. It's said "famous food is generally not good" in Japan. However, the white noodles of this dining room were very delicious. It lived up to its famous name as the Ise-udon.

The upper part: a bad noodle shop in the sightseeing spot. I ate here yesterday.
The lower part: a delicious noodle shop in the country.I ate here today.

99.24Km/Total 10h

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Atsumi Peninsula to Ise-jingu Grand Shrine

Nov 29, 2010

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I went over to Toba by ferry, after cycling through flat Atsumi Peninsula. I then went to Ise-jingu Grand Shrine.

I cycled on the Atsumi Toyohashi cycling road for a little while, it did not live up to its name as a "cycling road."


Though The Romance Beach was a stupid name, it had a good view.

It took 60 minutes to get to Toba on the Isewan Ferry. The fare was 1,500 yen, and there was a 1,000 yen charge for my bicycle. The islands of Isewan had beautiful scenery.
Regardless of a weak economy, "Oharai-machi"(purify town) was crowded.

I stayed at the Ise Grand Shrine Kaikan Foundation without a reservation. It seemed to be a venerable hotel with a long history, but the building had new steel-reinforced concrete.

76.19Km/Total 8h

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The Tomioka Silk Mill and Mt.Myougi

Nov 25, 2010

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The Tomioka Silk Mill was the Japan's first instrument spinning factory, and started operation in 1872. The building was wooden frame in brick.
At that time in Japan, spinning raw silk from a cocoon was performed by human power, and was inferior to France and Italy in quality. The Meiji government imported steam engines and built a spinning mill under the guidance of the French engineer 'Paul Brunat'. The Tomioka Silk Mill was the beginning of the Japanese industrialization. Afterwards, it was privatized and continue operating until 1987, and designated an important cultural property now.

When I passed pretty wooden Shimonita Station hill climbing began.



It is only 1104m in height, but was impressive when I looked up close.


64.7Km/Total 7h

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Hill climbing practice in Yabitsu Pass

Nov 22, 2010

Today was the sixth practice challenge on Yabitsu Pass.
Since previous week's time was very long, I was determined to improve it this time. Today's time was 51m50s, which was 45 seconds longer than my personal best, but three minutes shorter than last week's. Since the difference between last week and this was that I ate breakfast before cycling today, that could have been a possible factor of the long time.
I lose pedaling power dramatically when I become the hanger knock. But it seems to begin gently before the hanger knock.

I took a GPS log using iTrail on iPhone every five seconds. The precision of the position looked fine, but it was not enough to measur the speed of the bicycle every five seconds.

107.29Km/Total 7h

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Chichibu Basin and a historic way

Nov 17, 2010

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I brought my bicycle in a bag with me on the train to Komagawa station, past the Yokohama line and Hachiko line, which were a transit route when the main Japanese export was raw silk.
In Komagawa, you can find the Koma Shrine, which was founded in the eighth century. This Shinto shrine is dedicated to the imperial family of the Kokuryo which was in the northern part of the Korean Peninsura. The Kokuryo was ruined by Tang Dynasty and Silla, and many exiles moved to Japan.
Subsequently, across the Shomaru mountain pass, I entered Chichibu Basin.
From the mountain pass, I was able to look over Tokyo in the distance.

There is an Ongaku Temple on the hill which crosses Arakawa.The bell in the temple became the signal gun of the Chichibu destitute pauper party armed uprising in 1884. This was an example that the movement for democratic rights was intensifying.

There is Wado open-air mining trace in Kuroya.
In 708, copper ore was discovered here and this changed the name of the era to "Wado". 「和同開珎 "Wadokaichin"」 was cast and issued, which was Japan's first currency.

120.18Km/Total 9h

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'Mama Chari' in Tokyo downtown

Nov 12, 2010

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By the request of an Australian cyclist Gus ,who will go back to his country next week, we did a round trip of the downtown area with a rented bicycle.
The bicycle was very cheap but it was a Mama Chari. Mama Chari is the name of a bicycle for shopping housewives. At first we borrowed bicycles in the underground station.
There was a mini-escalator for bicycles in the stairs to the ground from the basement.
In Japan, sometimes we happen to misunderstand the meaning of the word "progress".(LOL)

We went to Asakusa, which was well introduced in a Japanese tourist guide book, and then we cycled along Sumida River.

Kiyosu Bridge; built in 1928.

Kachidoki Bridge; built in 1940,"movable bridge".

We usually ride a road bicycle in forward-bent posture. Because we did not need to bend forward today, the Mama Chari was most suitable for a pleasure cycling.
There was little holiday traffic, and the downtown area was comfortable.

23.6 Km

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Pedal through Ho Chi Minh City by rent-a-cycle

Nov 8, 2010

Today was the last day of my tour of Ho Chi Minh City, I pedaled along leisurely with a rented bicycle, as I desired that.
Ho Chi Minh City was called Saigon in the old days.

The rental fee was 2 dollars for one day.
May I cycle in a treasure house of motorcycles safely?

The first destination was a ferry pier in front of the Hotel Majestic. This ferry is an important means of the common people cross the Saigon River for 1000VND.
The way became the dirt road and backroad which took tranquilly.
In the fishing village of the southernmost second district, foreigners will rarely come to visit.
Children passing each other call out "hello" a bit timidly. They will practice the English that they learned at school for the first time.

The construction of the tunnel of Saigon River seems to have started.
It may develop very much, like the Pudong of Shanghai.

I came back to the city and looked for Saigon station in the afternoon.
When the time schedule which I got at a station, the train is four for a day, a small terminal of the single line there.
The train departs for Hanoi at night and will arrive in the morning two days later.
The trip of the sleeper train seems to be interesting.


Because Vietnam was a French colony, there are many traffic circles. You need courage to cross it by bicycle.

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